The Psychology and Leadership Connection
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
I was recently interviewed by a member of the California Special Districts ahead of their CSDA’s Annual Conference in September. The topic was leadership -- and the message (for the article and the keynote) is how leaders can use the power of psychology to help them drive bottom-line results for their teams. Psychology = profits and productivity. I shared, that for most people, their JOB isn't actually the thing that holds a team member back. It's the PEOPLE that they work with and an inability to Read More

Describing Leaders: In Charge? Or Influential?
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
If you asked 20 people to describe the characteristics of a powerful leader today, you’d probably get 20 different answers.
So how can we effectively and concisely describe the essence of a successful leader in our current business environment—with the backdrop of global competition, splintering markets, and whiplash-inducing advances in technology?
One word: influence.
While great leaders years ago were often seen as being in charge, great leaders today are considered Read More

A Single Shift in Focus Can Dramatically Impact Results
By Leadership Expert, Keynote Speaker and Author Connie Podesta
What do we mean by engaged? Listens. Observes. Communicates. Offers ideas. And solutions. Appears happy most of the time. Enthusiastic. Works well with others. And likes their job. Most of the time me.
Is that all? No way. One, they are more fun and easier to work with. Two, they contribute big time to a company’s bottom line. And three, they keep the energy rolling and the workplace on fire. How cool is that?
Why are some employees engaged and others not? An Read More

A Leader-to-Leader Thought for the Day
By Business Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
As leaders, we are aware that our employees will produce more. Sell more. Lead better. Collaborate easier. Increase production. And attract more customers when they are being positively supported, engaged, respected and encouraged. In other words, the better we are at creating and sustaining a healthy environment for our team, the healthier, happier, and more productive they will be.
What we often forget, however, is that a healthy work/home environment always starts with a healthy Read More

Listen FIRST!
By Connie Podesta, Business Motivational Speaker, and Human Behavior Expert
There are a LOT of leaders who come into their position waving their “I'm the boss” flag like gangbusters. You know the type. Hit everyone with new rules. New ideas. New ways. Grand proclamations about being IN CHARGE! Start marking territory. Um… psychologically speaking? That’s the fastest way to send your team upside down and underground awaiting your fall from grace.
Here’s a leadership hack for you: START by LISTENING. What? How novel! When people feel like they are being HEARD and Read More

By Motivational Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta
Bad choices? Sure, we all make them. Hopefully as we get older (and sometimes wiser) though, we figure out that we can do better than that. If you’re ready to start making BETTER choices, let’s take a look at the top 13 things to quit starting today.
Quit avoiding reality. Too many people live in an “if only” or “I wish” fantasy world—and not in the reality of what is actually going on at this moment!Be honest with yourself. Making choices based on what you wish would happen or should happen or might happen is Read More

By Motivational Speaker Connie Podesta
I know, I know. As a motivational keynote speaker, I can’t tell you how many times I hear the battle cry, “Just be YOU! Don’t change! You’re enough!” And yet, here’s my question: How's that REALLY working for you? Be honest now. Got the house you want? Car you want? Partner you want? Wealth you want? Body you want? Job you want? Happiness you want? Health you want? Peace you want? Confidence you want? Success you want?
Then maybe – when it comes to getting what you want – just being YOU isn’t enough after all.
Listen, I’m all about being your own Read More

To Avoid Feeling "Lonely at the Top"!
By Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
We've all heard that it can be “lonely at the top.” Well most recent studies, books, and articles agree. They show that many top leaders feel isolated and weighed down by their position? With no one to talk to? And no one with whom to bear the burden of their job? And that isolation can play havoc with their confidence. The decisions they make. And their overall ability to lead effectively.
I get it! I'm certainly no stranger to loneliness. I am constantly traveling – alone. I work in my home office Read More

Learning to Celebrate Your Imperfections
by Motivational Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
Perfection? Overrated. Unreachable. Exhausting. Impossible. Obsessive. Look, I’m not saying don’t stop reaching for more. Far from it. But no one—NO ONE—is perfect. Happiness is getting to that point in your life where you can say, “I don’t have to have it all, do it all, be the best,” and being all right with that.
You know, there’s a very real difference between getting it perfect and giving it all you have. Happiness is about realizing that mistakes are part of life’s crazy plan so we can learn Read More

A Just Ask Connie Blog
"Why waste money on outside speakers …" the email began. "What our team really needs is to hear from our own internal leadership team. An outside speaker doesn’t even understand our unique business."
Not the first time I’ve heard those words. My response? Is usually, "Really? Let’s dig a little deeper and break those theories down a bit."
First, "Why waste money?" You know, that’s a legitimate question and money can be misspent if…
A: You hire the WRONG speaker. You know the drill. It’s time to choose a speaker but it’s "decision by committee" – and there’s Read More